The Palestinians’ faith in Hamas has been rewarded with Hamas violently separating itself and Gaza from the PA, launching three wars with Israel and squandering international aid intended to rebuild Gaza’s infrastructure. An extensive web of tunnels beneath Gaza’s borders with Egypt and Israel are a reminder that Hamas’s leadership continues to value tactical advantages above the welfare of the Gazan people. Instead of building roads to connect Gazans to hospitals and schools, Hamas has built tunnels reportedly used by Islamic State fighters in the Sinai to receive medical and military assistance in Gaza. Gazans continue to suffer while the peace process remains frozen and the West Bank and Gaza remain politically divided…

Some Israeli officials have proposed boosting the Palestinian economy to discourage terrorism. The first planned Palestinian city of Rawabi in the West Bank presents such an opportunity. Unfortunately, Rawabi sits mostly empty, a victim of Israeli bureaucracy that has been slow to connect vital utilities and Palestinian obstinacy that views the builders’ partnerships with Israeli companies as traitorous…

Ten years after Palestinians voted Hamas into power, they are a house divided and despair has driven the violence of recent months. Palestinians need to see their daily lives improve and recognize that only diplomacy, not violence, can bring those improvements. Otherwise, Hamas will continue to hold the Palestinian people hostage and Israelis will share in their suffering.

Here you’ll find an array of useful information on accommodations, transportation, exchanging currency, Israel's climate and customs, and much more. So get the most out of your trip to Israel with the help of The Fellowship.

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) funds humanitarian aid to the needy in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world, promotes prayer and advocacy on behalf of the Jewish state, and provides resources that help build bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews.